Spearfishing in Malibu Resources
Living in coastal California sure has its perks. I’ve recently gotten back into the water with a spear in hand as another vehicle to explore and partake in nature. The dark blue waters on the surface of the Pacific hide incredible life. While not always Atlantic-clear, there are often times where the visibility is clear enough to hunt. Here, I threw together a quick video of some local beach shore diving and spearfishing in Malibu.
Spearfishing in Malibu
While there are areas that are a bit remote, I wanted to cover simple shore diving with minimal gear off of the sand in Malibu. There have been local areas that have always been public access, but are now posted as public.
However, the home owners in the area should be respected. While the beach is public access, there are people living in the area that would prefer some privacy and space. Just remember to be considerate and respectful when roaming around as common courtesy. Frankly, one bad spearo can ruin good things for a lot of good spearos.
If you’re going to dive in to this, definitely check the regulations and resources below. Become very familiar with the text as a conservationist and spearo.
Local Regulations and Resources:
Fish advisories for safe eating in the coastal areas of Southern California are guidelines based on health assessment studies done by OEHHA. There have been regulations in place for these waters since 1985 and more recently in 2009, a study was conducted by the EPA and MSRP to collect current data. Basically, up until the 1970s, there were man-made chemicals that were being discharged into the ocean via the Southern California sewer system that don’t break down easily. The guidelines are in place to help determine safe eating.
Fishing regulations and size minimums in the above link cover the area from point conception, near Santa Barbara, to the Mexican coast. While this list can seem daunting, it is totally necessary to be familiar with the list as responsible hunters. Size limits are in place to help protect various species and are set forth by the DFG. They will nail you for shorties.
The areas near Point Dume are more or less protected. There are two areas that the map brings up – a Marine Conservation Area and a Marine Reserve.
In the Marine Conservation Area, it is unlawful to recreationally take or hunt the reef life. However, pelagic fish are fair game. In the Marine reserve, leave the spear in the car.
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